The Easley messenger. (Easley, S.C.) 1883-1891, December 14, 1883, Image 4
(From the News and Courier.]
THE RAILROAD FIGHT.
COLUMBIA, December 7.-At the
meeting of the House rail rd commit
tee to-night Col. H. S. Hi4tns, general
.manager of the Savannak, Florida and
Western Railway of Georgia, addressed
the joint committee at considerable
length as to the system of railways in
operation in Georgia, and the practical
working of the con mission .in that
State. When the commission was.
fortned it was determined they should
make rates for the railroad companies.
These rates affected his road in one
year $146,000. He went before the
commission and stated this fact, but it
did not have any practical result.
Te roads made monthly reports to
-t he commissioner and brought the mat
ter to their attention in every way, and
finally they made a modification i
their rates. They fixed the passenger
rate at 3 cents a mile. Lately they
have made better cotton rates. Un
der the rates they first fixed the com
pany lost about $70,000. Before the
commilssion advanced the rates would
it not hasve been better to allow the
railroads to fix their own rates? The
rates which the commission fix should
be such as to allow a fair retu.n on the
property. He said he was not opposed
to a commission, but thought they
should only be allowed to make rates
when the rates made by the compa
nies were unjust. If the State under
takes to regulate rates, of conme the
companies must abide by them, but it
seemed to him that t he State was bound
to see that the roads did not suffcr on
account of too low rates. In reply to
a question he stated that the railway
laws in Georgia have not stimulated
Ihe building of new lines in that State.
It is contemplated to build ioads in
Florida, but none in Georgia. Mr.
Brawley asked If it was true, as hrid
been statedI in the newspapers, that
since the formation of the commission
there had been more building of roads
in Georgia than at any p~revious time.
and he replied that he (did not think so.
Messrs. Brawley, Murray. Haskell
an d others asked various questions,
which he readlily answered. Col.
Hains's statements were fair and non
servative, and in contrast to the Intem
Perate tone of some other railroad1
Commissioner Bonham said he had
been connectedl with the commission
for live years, that lie had recontended
to the Legislature the adoption of the
system in vogue in Illinoise. Illinois
has the greatest mileage of any State,
and that system is still in operation
there. He did not feel that lie occu
jpiedl the position of a part ismn, bt
represented the interest of the railroads
as~ well as the people of the State. In
Georgia the Illinoise system still pre
vails. Hie read extracts from the
Georgia commissioners' reports, show
ing that the railroad law In that State
had not been prejudicial to existing
companies. He said that ihe sulperin..
tendent of the Central Railroad had
told him that his road made more mon
ey at three eeuts a mile for passenger
fares than ever before. There are as.
sertions made that the receipts, have
been reduced by the commissioners'
rate, but they are not borne onit by th
facts. Ie then quoted repr s sho
ing that In the month 0 Detoper of
this year the Clyde roads in SoutihCar.
olina made by freight $6,00 more
than in the sAme month last year, and
on passengers and freight combined
$2,600 more, and this notwithstan44Iding
the poor crops.
Govehnor Bonham ws interrupted
several times by President 11 lll, of
the Clyde roads in South Carolina.
Superintendent C. S. Gadden said
the commission had treated his road
very liberally in the matter of freights,
but not so in passenger rates. They
were arbitrary in this regard. The on
ly direction in which they expected to
increase their earnings was from the
phosphate industries near the line df
their road. Passenger travel had not
been stimulated by the reduction of
rates by the commission.
President A. C. Haskell was then
heard in behalf of his road. He said
that Mr. Clyde had so completely cov
ered Re ground that all that remained
for him to do was to give some figures
to supplement what he had said. Ile
then stated that the loss of the road in
October was $29,000 in freight and 27,
000 in passenger businesss. The loss
in tonnage was a little less than 10 per
cent. The loss on each ton hailed
amounts to$' 23. On every ton,he said,
we actually loss $1 13.
The committee was in session until a
late hour and will h ive another session
to-imorrow niglit, when other railroad
men will be heard from. So far the
railroad men have h Ad it all their own
way.
At The Old Home.
A man does love to go back and
view the scenes among which he made
his start, even though he may not re
member much about them. "There.
see there? That is the house your
great-grandfather built.'' It was a
swell house in those dayS evidently.
Two storics; square-hewed1 longs, a
porch all along the front. And the
bands t hat built it, the voices t hat
laughed and sang in it, the merry fea.~.
that (lanced on its oaken floors ! Down
through the brokeni roof and in the
chinks of the tottering walls the sun
shines to-day in great bars of gold, just
for an Instant, and theni the clouds
shiut out the smilight and the pitiless
rain b~eats down upon the old old log
house. The skies are gray, the trees
are leafless, the hills are bare, and the
rising wind moans and sighs. 'Drip.
Elrip, drip the water falls from the
broken eaves, like I he monotonous tdck
f a clock that tells the lives of four
generations. But for the moaning
wind ind the weeping water, now still,
iow quiet It all is. "My great-grand
!at her built It, then ?" I wonder, if I
wait here until the d'iy is gone and the
wening is gray and fulil of shadows, if
e will come to the dismantled old door,
mnd with ghostly silence and old-lime
sourtesy bid his great-grandson wel
some to the acres and manor of his
meestors.
"And the orchard on the hill, Robert,
your grandfather platited. And he
built the briek house on the other side
f .the road).
There Is the qrehard still. Year at
Mer year the fragrant blooms and the.
robins come together, but the boy who
planted the tres .?'e orchard bloom
and the withered leaf of November
are alike to, him, and- the song of the
robik does not reach his ear.
"Your a notje: was born in.that
Al, .my n)other! She".-Was -a litt1g
girl here, then? All these hills ar6
iacre(d'with the totich of her pattering
feet; down this winding glen she has
plucked the wood violets and amen
ones; and the birds In the swaying
branches above her head have sung in
wild joyousness to hear her laugh.
She was a school girl here-my mother.
And how pretty she was then, with
the tender curve of her lips and the
full-orbed eyes of brown, soft and deep
as the shadows of these hills; ah, she
was beautiful when she was a school
girl !
And that. night I stand In my native
village, and I look at the stars that
come out in the blue sky, and listen to
the low-voiced Monongahela singing at
my feet; and in the stars I see the soft
light, of my mother's eyes, and listen
ing to the soig of the river I know
where her dear voice caught the low,
mellow music that in the long-ago
lulled, with the old-time cradle songs,
her little ones to sleep.-I. J. Bur
dette.
LINCOLN IN RICHMOND.- After
Rchmond had fallen into the hands of
the Federal forces the Cabinet room of
the Capitol was kept in exactly tihe
same condition as wnen occupied by
Jeff Davis. President Lincoln, it will
be remembered, arrived the day after
the surrender, ind while walking
through t he building, inspecti)g the
headquarters of the Con federacy, came
to this room. Godfrey Weitzel, who
was in charge, said ; "Mr. President,
this is the chair occupied by President
Davis." and motioned Ohe President
to sit down. It was a trying moment,
and those present expected to see a
look of triumph in his face as he per
formed the act which signalized the
compilete dlownfall of the rebellion.
Mr. Lincoln app~roached wearily, sat
down withouit a word, and as his great
head fell into his hands there was an
oppressive silence. is mind seemed
to be wandering back through the
dark years of bloodshed and eat ntage.
He saw visions of death, of broken fam
ily circles, loss of treasure, and the lit
tie mounds that dot the South under
whlch sleep the Northern dead. He
did not utter a word, but heaved a
deep sigh, and even to this day 'the
warriors who stood in his presence at
the time tell the story with tears in
their eyes.-- -Washington Letter,
-Old as the hills-The valleys
between them.
Those Indebted to us for Guano are
notified that they maust come for ward
and Settle at once, as we need and
muast have OUR MONEY. So do not
delay.
ALso,
Those due us on Store Account must
settle upat one, so that we mfaybe1
enabled e supply you again. A word
to the wise Is sm~telest.
ROBINSON A WYATT.
Nov 16-tf
D~R GOODS
eA 44inrtei1 for Dress obds,' Black
md Colored Silks, Black Cashineres,
I4fietta T lothA Albatrdosa loths
AC1tp% A' f"eP every
An exquisite line of Walkinug Jack
ts, .Cloaks, Dlmans, Paetots and
CHILDREN'S CLOAKS.
The only place you will find Evitt &
Bros'. Fine Shoes for La des, I ses
md Children. They have numerous
friends. It takes but one' trial to make
tor then a customer. For ..
Style, Fit and Comfort
they are unexcelled.
Table Liuens, Towels, Blankets,
Napkins and Doyles in abundance.
Sw Come and see us. Prices an
inducement. Bargains to be had at
J. H. MORGAN & BRO.,
Wholesale and Retail Merchants,
GREENVILLE, S. C,
Nov 2-3m
REMEMBER
One and Alt,
ROBINSON & WYATT
EASLEY, S. C.,
Have just receivedtheir Fall
and Winter stock of goods,
consisting of
Notions, Clothing,
Hardware, Groceries
and Grocers Drugs.
SigGive us a call and we will be sure
to sell to you if low prices are desired.
Oct 12-12m t
A WORD
TO THE PUBLIV
FROM
A vi sit to Ownbey Bros. wvill con
vince you that we can sell you GOODS
as CHIE AlP as the CHE APEST. Our
stock is now complete, consisting of
F~lour, Bacon, Lard, Coffee, Sugar
Canned Goods of every description,
Plain andl Fancy andles in endless,
variety, Hlard ware, Tin and Hollow
ware. A full line of.
shat compete with Greenville prices.
Our line of 'Tobacco and Segars is
large and varied, and will be sold at
prices that will induce. all to buy. If
you need anything -in the shape of
Earmin g implements, we keep It. We
ceep a full lie of Clocks, and will sell
theim cheap. Jewel'y to please all
>oth in st1e and price.
And please to remember that we pay
he highest market price for produce.
We have no house rent nor clerk hire
o pay, and can sell you any thing we
<eep at the very lowest prices.
Very respectfully,
OWNBEY BROS.
Octi12-1 2m
J. T. N IX,
WF1ORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW,
GREENVILLE, S. C.
Practices ina the State and United
States Courts.
BW Office in Mansioa. litouse, -9
Nov 9..-1=